Everyone can agree that eating healthy is important, but making it happen every day can be a challenge. According to a recent survey from the American Heart Association and Aramark, a U.S. based food service company, participants expressed that availability of healthy foods (43 percent), “convenience (60%) and taste preference (54%) as having a great deal/quite a bit of impact on choosing an unhealthy lunch.”

While those numbers aren’t the best, there are two other numbers that are better. “More than 4 in 5 (82%) agree that having healthy food options at work is important to them and more than 2 in 3 (68%) value help from their employer in becoming healthier.”

Understanding these statistics and taking the next step can help
employers determine the best way to provide break room refreshments for their
employees. Rather than assuming which products employees would like to have
available, employers should survey their employees to find out. Different
individuals will have different preferences that develop from a number of
factors including upbringing, genetics, culture and individual experiences.

So, what makes a snack better-for-you? The broad definition is a
snack that has a high nutritional value or one that is high in protein,
vitamins, minerals and fiber but low in calories, fat, sugar and sodium. A
popular example is nuts. While nuts are high in calories and fat, they have
lots of important nutrients.

choose a snack that has between 150 and 250 calories. Always check
the portion size on the nutrition label. The portion size and the size of the
package are often two different amounts.

choose items that have about 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of
protein per serving. Since fiber and protein can create a feeling of fullness, New
York City employees are likely to stay full longer, decreasing the overall
amount eaten.

avoid snacks that have more than 12 grams of fat per serving.
Consuming too many saturated fats can raise LDL or “bad” cholesterol and
increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Whether New York City employees need an unplanned pick-me-up or didn’t have time to fix something at home to bring to work with them, access to healthy vending machine snacks and beverages is a great option. It also supports what employees are looking for—convenient and tasty choices and help from their employer to become healthier and access to better-for-you choices at work.

We at Healthy Vending believe in supporting the New York City area by providing a large selection of organic and all-natural snacks and beverages in our vending machines. For more information about our product offerings or vending solutions, please contact us at 917.572.3671.

Do you keep track of the amount of caffeine in your favorite iced tea or chocolate treat? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Many New York City individuals typically only consider how much coffee they consume even though there are many other snacks and beverages that contain caffeine. In addition to coffee and hot tea, it can be found in iced tea, energy drinks, soda, chocolate and gum.

March is Caffeine Awareness Month, and with more than three-quarters of the U.S. population starting their day with some sort of caffeine, let’s take a deeper look at everyone’s favorite energy boost.

What is caffeine?

It is a stimulant that excites or activates the central nervous
system. The results of that stimulation can vary widely as caffeine’s effects
are based on each New York City individual’s sensitivities, age, weight,
medical history, and tolerances.

Even though there are negative side effects from consuming too
much (raised blood pressure, insomnia, indigestion, headaches and migraines,
and increased anxiety), there are also benefits. Caffeine has also been linked
to enhanced alertness and memory, improved athletic performance, elevated mood,
increased metabolism as well as a decrease in pain sensitivity for those with
chronic pain.

The good news is, according to the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services’ 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that adults can add up to 400 mg/day of caffeine into their daily diet .

What about chocolate treats and
iced tea?

Knowing if a favorite cold beverage or chocolate treat contains
caffeine is important, but can sometimes be challenging to determine.

The best thing for New York City individuals to do is check the ingredients’ list. If the word “caffeine” is included, then the product includes the synthetic version, like in soda or energy drinks. If there is an ingredient like cocoa solids, kola nuts or black tea, then the caffeine comes from a natural source.

So, how much is in there?

The answer to this question depends on a few factors including the
type of tea or chocolate used and how it’s prepared.

Caffeine found in chocolate comes from cocoa solids. Dark
chocolate contains more cocoa solids compared to milk chocolate or white
chocolate, so the darker the chocolate the greater amount. While the amount of
caffeine in a chocolate treat can vary based on other ingredients, in general,
dark chocolate is assumed to have 12 mg/oz while milk chocolate has 5.8 mg/oz
and white chocolate, which isn’t made with cocoa solids, has 0 mg/oz.

Iced tea is also impacted by a variety of factors such as the type
of tea, how many tea bags were used, how much water and ice were added, and how
long was the tea allowed to steep.

Healthy Vending, for example, offers a couple brands of iced tea in our vending machines. One 16 oz bottle of black tea contains 81mg of caffeine. The same amount of green tea contains 55mg while white tea contains 61 mg. Even though white tea traditionally contains less caffeine than green tea, any of the factors listed above can affect how much is actually in a beverage, highlighting the importance of checking the label.

Break Room Refreshments

What types of healthy, cold beverages or chocolate treats do your New York City employees or students look for during the day? Can they find them on-site? Offering healthy cold beverages in break room or school lunchroom vending machines is a great way to make sure everyone stays hydrated. Add healthy snacks to the menu, and employees and students will be more likely to visit the break room or lunchroom.

For more information about upgrading your current refreshment menu or customizing a new one, please call Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671.

Is sugar one of the first few ingredients in your favorite beverage? Many beverages contain more sugar than most New York City individuals realize. For example, many fruit juices contain as much sugar as sugar-sweetened beverages. In fact, consuming higher numbers of servings of fruit juices is associated with an increase in death for older U.S. adults, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.

The study found that for each additional 12-oz serving of sugar-sweetened beverage consumed there was an 11 percent higher risk of death. For fruit juice, each additional 12-oz serving consumed was connected to a 24 percent higher risk of death. The bottom line is that consuming more sugary beverages, including fruit juice, increases the risk of death.

With so many different names to keep track of, it’s no wonder that the average American consumes so much sugar. While too much of all types of sugar is unhealthy, it’s important to know the difference between naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. Naturally occurring sugar is in foods such as fruits and vegetables. Even though these foods contain naturally occurring sugar, they also contain water, fiber, vitamin and minerals.

100 percent fruit juice, on the other hand, is missing the fiber that usually accompanies fresh fruit and slows down sugar absorption. For example, it takes the body longer to digest an apple because of the fiber content which then causes the natural sugar to be absorbed into the body more slowly.

Current research suggests that 77 percent of Americans are trying to decrease the amount of sugar in their diets. Avoiding fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages is one way to accomplish that. New York City employers can help promote healthier choices and help their employees by offering better-for-you beverages in the break room.

The key is to offer a variety of options on the beverage menu from traditional plain or filtered water to naturally flavored sparkling water. With a larger selection of options, employees are less likely to become bored and choose a beverage with a lot of sugar. Offering healthy snacks is another way to encourage healthier eating habits.

Healthy Vending would like to help stock your New York City break room or school lunchroom with vending machines full of a variety of delicious, all-natural and healthy snacks and beverages. For more information, please call us at 917.572.3671.

How healthy is your heart? February may be best known for Valentine’s Day, but it is also American Heart Month, a time for New York City individuals to reconsider their diet and exercise habits and the impact those habits have on the health of their heart.

Making good food choices is an important component of developing a healthy lifestyle but expecting to make good food choices all the time is unrealistic. New York City individuals should instead be aware of the overall picture or pattern of their diet.

What does that mean? It’s being aware of the different types of snacks, food and beverages that are consumed. Is an individual eating a variety of nutritious foods from the different food groups? Are the portion sizes appropriate? It’s also noticing which circumstances like stress, fatigue or eating with friends trigger different types of eating patterns including unhealthy ones.

Lunch time is another event that can impact future food decisions that will be made throughout the rest of the day. A recent survey from the American Heart Association (AHA) and Aramark, a food service company, found that “more than three quarters of those surveyed say they’re more likely to make healthier decisions at other times of the day if they eat healthy at lunch.”

While those numbers are great news for the health of those surveyed, the likelihood that employees will actually eat a healthy lunch is much lower. The same survey also found that “56 percent of employed Americans who typically eat lunch during work struggle to make that meal healthy.” New York City employers have just been presented with an opportunity to step in and make a difference in the types of snacks, fresh food and beverages available in the break room.

Two additional results from the AHA and Aramark study show that employees are looking for a bit of help; 82 percent of participants believe access to healthy options at work is important, and 68 percent appreciate their employer’s help in becoming healthier. Creating opportunities for regular exercise during the workday is another approach employers can take to help their New York City employees become healthier.

Regular exercise not only helps maintain or lose weight, it also improves cardiovascular or heart health. If offering a gym membership or an onsite gym isn’t a realistic employee benefit, there are other ways employees can increase their physical activity during the workday. Taking a walk at lunch, parking further away from the building, using the stairs instead of the elevator and holding walking meetings are just a few ways employees can add a bit more movement to their day.

Employees who choose a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and lean proteins and increase physical activity often have less stress, more energy and improved confidence. Now that sounds like a benefit for everyone.

For more information about updating or redesigning your vending machine refreshment menu to include healthier options, please call Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671. We look forward to working with you.

How much do New York City consumers really know about the snacks and beverages they consume? Some attributes like price, convenience and taste are relatively easy to determine, but whether an item was produced in an environmentally sustainable way is a lot harder to figure out.

In addition to taste (86 percent), price (68 percent) and convenience (57 percent), the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2019 Food and Health Survey determined that sustainability (54 percent) is an important factor when it comes to making a purchasing decision.

Unfortunately, those 54 percent of participants have different interpretations about what makes a product environmentally sustainable, creating some confusion. The following list includes the top six interpretations of environmentally sustainable.

locally produced products: 51 percent

products labeled as sustainably produced: 47 percent

products labeled as non-GMO/not bio-engineered: 47 percent

products labeled as organic: 44 percent

products that have recyclable packaging: 41 percent

products that have minimal packaging: 35 percent

With 63 percent of the survey participants also agreeing that it is hard to know if a product is environmentally sustainable, the confusion about the definition of environmentally sustainable makes sense. But a definition does exist. According to the U.N.’s Brundtland Commission on sustainable development, “sustainable development [meets] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

To determine if a snack or beverage is sustainable look for the following certifications: USDA Organic, Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane Raised and Handled, Fair Trade USA Certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified. Another approach is to learn about a brand and the specific types of ingredients that brand uses. If an employee or student trusts a brand and is familiar with the types of ingredients that a brand uses, they are more likely to purchase that brand’s snacks and beverages.

New York City employers and schools can help ensure that environmentally sustainable products are available for their employees and students by including vending machines with healthy and organic options in their break room or school lunchroom. Healthy Vending makes that even easier for local businesses and schools by only offering vending machines with healthy snacks and beverages.

For more information about our menu, including healthy, all-natural and organic snacks and beverages, please call us at 917.572.3671.

Staying healthy usually means something different to everyone whether it’s eating a certain way or participating in a favorite physical activity. As 2020 gets into full swing, let’s consider a super important but often forgotten organ that plays a huge role in everyone’s health – the lungs.

When a New York City individual’s lungs don’t work properly, it can impact their health, and as a result, there can be a negative impact on all parts of their life including their job. One way to keep the lungs healthy is to exercise.

Exercise

The American Lung Association, a nonprofit organization that works to improve lung health and prevent lung disease, sponsors an annual event that not only helps raise funds for the organization but also highlights the importance of exercise for lung health. It’s called the Fight For Air Climb, and it honors National Take the Stairs Day.

During the stair-climbing event, participants, from running and fitness enthusiasts to people of all abilities, take the stairs instead of the elevator to get to the top floor in the event. Often, the buildings used for Fight For Air Climb are tall skyscrapers with many flights of stairs.

If attending an event like the Fight for Air Climb isn’t an option for New York City employees, there are other ways to add small steps of exercise into one’s day such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the door, going on a walk during a lunch break and taking a stretch break during the workday. Regular exercise has other benefits as well. It boosts energy levels, improves muscle strength and increases the immune system’s ability to fight infections.

Diet

The type of snacks and beverages that a New York City employee consumes can also have an impact on lung health. In addition to improving productivity and alertness, staying hydrated keeps the lungs working more effectively by thinning out linings located in the lungs.

Portion size is another factor that can affect how well the lungs work. Not only can consistently eating portions that are too big cause weight gain, but they can also cause the stomach to be too full, decreasing the amount of space that the lungs have to expand. Healthy options to consider adding to one’s diet include lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.

Consuming water and other hydrating beverages plus healthy snacks provides a lot of benefits that many individuals never need to consider. In 2020, New York City employers and school districts have an opportunity to help their employees or students make healthier decisions by considering the types of snacks and beverages that are offered in the office break room or school lunchroom.

For more information about updating your refreshment menu to include healthier options, please contact Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671.

Choosing healthy snacks is becoming easier for New York City employers and students thanks to a new initiative by the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), a group of 12 leading global food and beverage companies.

According to a recent IFBA press release, the organization “is determined to innovate and optimize the composition of members’ products in order to help contribute to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal of eliminating industrially produced trans-fat (iTFA) from the global food supply by 2023.”

In other words, snacks and beverages, especially those made by IFBA companies, should have less artificial trans fats in them and be a lot healthier for New York City consumers.

What are trans fats, and why are they unhealthy?

Trans fats come in two forms: naturally occurring and artificial. Naturally occurring trans fats come from some animals, are found in smaller quantities and have been found to be beneficial. Artificial trans fats, on the other hand, are the result of a chemical process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils creating a solid product and are very unhealthy.

Because artificial trans fats are inexpensive to produce, have a longer shelf life than other fats and add a desirable taste and texture, they have historically been used as an ingredient in a wide variety of processed foods such as pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies and crackers.

Consuming artificial trans fats increases New York City individuals’ risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke because the artificial trans fats raise bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Artificial trans fats are also linked to long-term inflammation, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

Healthier Choices

For heart health, the American Heart Association suggests enjoying a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, low-fat dairy, poultry and fish. When freshly prepared food is not available such as in many New York City break rooms or school lunchrooms, processed snacks made with unhydrogenated oil including canola, safflower, sunflower and olive oil are a great option.

Healthy Vending, a full-service vending company, would like to provide your school or business with vending machines full of all-natural and organic snacks (with healthy fats) and beverages. For more information or to schedule a product sampling, please contact us at 917.572.3671.

Making healthy decisions is always important, but for some, it is even more important as the days get shorter and darker. Whether it’s rain or snow, fall and winter weather can impact everyone. The decrease in sunlight throughout the fall and the increase in time spent indoors as it gets colder or rainier can cause the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the Mayo Clinic, common signs of SAD include lower energy levels, increased moodiness, oversleeping, appetite changes, weight gain and trouble concentrating.

It’s not just the lack of sunshine causing winter blues and poor productivity; what New York City individuals put in their bodies plays a role too. Sugary quick fixes might provide a short-term energy boost, but in the long run, they are not helpful.

For many, there is a tool available to help combat SAD; serotonin. Made from the amino acid tryptophan, serotonin is most often found in the digestive system. To maintain a healthy amount serotonin in the body, New York City individuals must consume tryptophan via their diet.

Research also supports a decreased risk of experiencing depression when eating a healthy diet. Unfortunately, the western diet isn’t always considered to be a healthy diet. To maintain healthy levels of serotonin (and a healthy diet), it is important to enjoy foods that are high in vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are vital for serotonin production.

Seven foods to enjoy during the winter to help combat SAD

Avocado: This fruit is rich in vitamin B6 (and other b-vitamins), which is needed for serotonin production. It is also high in fiber, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids, which all contain great mood impacting nutrients.

Berries: This colorful group of fruits is high in fiber and important antioxidants, which support the nervous system. While fiber does not directly produce serotonin, it plays an important role in the overall production process. Fiber is an important factor for good bacteria production in the gut, and since 90 percent of serotonin is generated in the gut, a healthy gut is very important.

Dark Chocolate: High in nutrients and antioxidants, dark chocolate, made with a minimum of 70 percent cocoa solids, impacts serotonin on two levels. Enjoying any favorite food increases endorphins which in turn boost serotonin levels. Dark chocolate also contains magnesium, a necessary nutrient for serotonin production.

Eggs: A great source of amino acids including tryptophan, eggs also contain vitamin D and healthy fats. Maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D is important as low levels of vitamin D are connected to depression.

Almonds: As with dark chocolate, almonds are a great source of magnesium. Research has shown that magnesium plays an important role in regulating neurological pathways, and a deficiency can increase the chance of developing depression.

Spinach: Full of plant-based iron and mood-boosting B vitamins such as folate, vitamins B3, B6 and B12, spinach is a great leafy vegetable that supports serotonin production. Even though most dark leafy greens including spinach are not a favorite snack, they are a great addition to smoothies, egg dishes and soups.

Some of the above foods may not taste the best when enjoyed on their own, but they can be enjoyed as part of a recipe.

An easy way to encourage New York City employees to enjoy healthy foods while at work and increase endorphins is to host a healthy breakfast party in the break room. Instead of letting everyone know ahead of time, make it a surprise party for an additional endorphin boost. Offer healthy options like yogurt parfaits with berries or bananas topped with almonds, acai smoothie bowls, fresh fruit, dark chocolate oatmeal breakfast bars or cocoa banana muffins.

Whether you’re interested in modifying your current break room vending machine menu or completely redesigning it, Healthy Vending can help. We offer a variety of healthy office break room and school lunchroom snack and beverage options. For more information, please contact us at 917.572.3671.

Healthy treats and sweet treats are often perceived by many New York City residents to be two very different things. One of them provides nutritional value while the other is full of unhealthy ingredients. But the term “healthy treat” doesn’t always have to refer to something that is a substitute for a preferred sweet treat.

In fact, a treat doesn’t even need to be edible for it to be a treat. It might be purchasing music, fresh flowers, a new book, or new supplies for a favorite hobby. The most important thing is that the person who is enjoying it perceives it to be special and looks forward to the experience.

Treats, in all their forms, also help New York City employees build new and maintain current healthy habits. According to Gretchen Rubin, author and happiness expert, “When we don’t get any treats, we start to feel deprived—and feeling deprived is a very bad frame of mind for good habits. When we feel deprived, we feel entitled to put ourselves back in balance…and feel entitled to break our good habits.”

A delicious and healthy sweet treat that employers can offer their New York City employees, especially Millennials, is chocolate. While there are different types of chocolate consumers, Millennials, the largest generation in the workforce, tend to prefer a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate products made with high-quality cocoa by companies who value social/environmental stewardship.

Chocolate also offers several health benefits. Made from different combinations of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, cocoa bean powder, sugar and milk powder, there are many options to choose from. Cocoa, the prime ingredient, contains antioxidants which benefits cardiovascular heath while flavonoids perform a variety of jobs such as helping control insulin sensitivity, improving blood flow, and protecting the skin against UV damage.

Dark chocolate contains the highest amount of cocoa followed by milk chocolate then white chocolate. Milk chocolate contains a smaller percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter than dark chocolate plus milk powder and more sugar. While the milk powder and decreased amount of cocoa creates a smoother and sweeter chocolate, milk chocolate also has fewer flavonoids. White chocolate, made from sugar, milk, and a small amount of cocoa butter, doesn’t contain any flavonoids making it quite sweet.

For chocolate to provide the most health benefits, it needs to be made with a higher percentage of cocoa, and avoid processing methods such as fermenting, alkalizing, and roasting that cause important flavonoids to be lost. Overall, sweet treats can be part of a balanced diet if New York City employees pay attention to portion sizes and frequency of consumption.

To support your New York City employees and students in making healthy “sweet treat” choices during their work or school day, it is important to create an environment where healthy options are the norm. Healthy Vending would like to help your organization customize an all-natural vending machine menu for your work break room or school lunchroom.

For more information or to schedule a product sampling, please call Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671.

Everyone needs to feel appreciated, including New York City employees. Providing free vending in the workplace break room is just one way to express employee appreciation. While each organization in New York City has a different culture, there are several things that create a universal feeling of appreciation and are enjoyed by almost everyone.

How to Show Appreciation

The first one applies specifically to the break room. Ask for your employees’ opinions about which snacks and beverages they would like to have available for free vending.

Also connected to the break room, would be to survey everyone about the type of environment or vibe they want in their break room. The right combination of refreshments at no cost plus a welcoming environment is sure to encourage employees to stay on-site when they need to re-hydrate or grab a bite to eat.

The next three ways to show appreciation don’t have to be connected to the break room, but they can be. Offer employees special treats or meals that aren’t usually available in the break room such as ‘Waffle Wednesday’ or ‘Freshly Baked Cookie Friday.’ Donuts from a favorite bakery or popular pizza are also great options.

In the non-food arena, giving employees who have gone above what was expected extra time off acknowledges their effort and time. Not acknowledging their time and effort can silently convey to everyone that they, the employees and their coworkers, receive no benefit for putting in the extra work.

Another way to express appreciation is to perform random acts of kindness. Everyone has heard the story about one person in line purchasing a coffee for the person behind them. To the person who received the coffee, the experience was a random act of kindness. The same can be done for your New York City employees. A simple thank you note or someone’s favorite snack are acts of kindness that show appreciation.

Why Show Appreciation

At the surface, expressing appreciation for your New York City employees improves engagement, retention and motivation, especially during the holiday season. But dig a bit deeper and see a positive impact on employee work/life balance.

In a recent article published by O.C. Tanner, “Showing gratitude can increase a person’s wellness, increase better sleep habits, increase metabolism and lessen stress. This directly impacts work results and employee interaction. With employee appreciation, you’re not only boosting performance and engagement, but the employee’s well-being and health.”

Drill down a bit further to the core and find that increased appreciation causes more positive interactions which then has even more positive ripple effects moving outward. That sounds like a good thing for everyone.

While Healthy Vending can’t perform random acts of kindness directly for your New York City employees, we can help you customize the perfect break room. Whether it’s free vending, subsidized vending or traditional vending, your employees will know that you appreciate all that they do. For more information, please call Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671.